Porter Goss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Porter Goss
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| 1st Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | |
| In office April 21, 2005 – May 5, 2006 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Deputy | Albert Calland |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Michael Hayden |
| 19th Director of Central Intelligence | |
| In office September 24, 2004 – April 21, 2005 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Deputy | John E. McLaughlin |
| Preceded by | George Tenet |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Chair of the House Intelligence Committee | |
| In office January 3, 1997 – September 23, 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Larry Combest |
| Succeeded by | Pete Hoekstra |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida |
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| In office January 3, 1989 – September 23, 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Connie Mack III |
| Succeeded by | Connie Mack IV |
| Constituency | 13th district (1989–1993) 14th district (1993–2004) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Porter Johnston Goss
November 26, 1938 Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Mariel Robinson |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Yale University (BA) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1960–1962 1962–1972 |
Porter Johnston Goss (born November 26, 1938) is an American politician. He led the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2004 to 2006. He was the last Director of Central Intelligence (DCI). After a new law passed in 2004, he became the first Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. This new role was created when the DCI position was changed.
Before working at the CIA, Goss was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He represented Florida's 14th congressional district from 1989 to 2004. This district included cities like Fort Myers and Naples. He also led the House Intelligence Committee from 1997 to 2004. He helped create the USA PATRIOT Act and worked on the Joint 9/11 Intelligence Inquiry.
Goss stepped down as CIA Director on May 5, 2006. He announced his resignation with President George W. Bush at the Oval Office.
Contents
Early Life and CIA Work
Porter Goss was born in Waterbury, Connecticut. His father, Richard Wayne Goss, was a business executive. Porter went to schools like the Fessenden School and the Hotchkiss School.
In 1960, Goss graduated from Yale University. He earned a degree in ancient Greek. He also speaks Spanish and French. At Yale, he was part of a secret society called Book and Snake. He was also in the Psi Upsilon fraternity.
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruited Goss during his junior year at Yale. He worked for the CIA's secret operations division for about ten years, from 1960 to 1971. He worked in places like Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe. He has mentioned working in Haiti, Santo Domingo, and Mexico.
Goss trained and recruited foreign agents. He was involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. He said he had "interesting moments" in the Florida Straits during that time. Later in his CIA career, he moved to Europe. In 1970, he became very sick in London. He left the CIA in 1971 and moved to Sanibel, Florida.
Public Service Career
After leaving the CIA, Goss moved to Sanibel, Florida. In 1974, he was elected to the City Council. He then became the mayor of Sanibel. In 1983, Bob Graham, who was the Governor of Florida, appointed Goss to the Lee County Board of Commissioners.
In 1988, Goss ran for Congress in Florida. The district he ran in covered the Gulf Coast. He won the election and served as a U.S. Representative for 16 years. He was re-elected easily many times.
In Congress, Goss was generally a conservative. However, he often supported environmental laws more than other Republicans. For example, he supported the Kyoto Protocol. He also wanted to make the Environmental Protection Agency stronger.
He sponsored laws about intelligence and local services. He also supported a constitutional amendment to limit how many terms representatives could serve. Goss was a co-sponsor of the USA PATRIOT Act.
While in the House, Goss led the House Intelligence Committee from 1997 to 2005. He also helped create the Homeland Security Committee. As a congressman, he always supported the CIA and wanted to increase its budget. He believed the CIA needed to improve its activities.
Career Highlights
- CIA employee: 1962–1971
- Mayor of Sanibel, FL: 1975-1977, 1981–1982
- U.S. Congressman, Florida: January 3, 1989 to September 23, 2004 (resigned)
- CIA Director: September 22, 2004 to May 5, 2006 (resigned)
9/11 Intelligence Inquiry
In August 2001, Goss visited Pakistan with other U.S. officials. They met with leaders and intelligence officials there. On September 11, 2001, Goss was having breakfast with a Pakistani general.
After the September 11 attacks, there was pressure for an investigation. Congress created the Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities before and after the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001. This inquiry was led by Goss and Senator Bob Graham. They made it clear their goal was to find ways to improve America's defense, not to blame anyone.
Goss said he was looking for "solutions, not scapegoats." He defended the CIA's work. The inquiry's final report was released in December 2002. It focused on the activities of the CIA and FBI.
Goss believed that previous administrations were partly responsible for the CIA's problems. He said he had discussed his concerns with President Bill Clinton. Goss felt that President Clinton did not value the intelligence community as much as President Bush did.
Leading the CIA
After CIA Director George Tenet resigned in 2004, President George W. Bush nominated Porter Goss to take his place. Some Democrats had concerns about his nomination. They worried he might be too political. Others worried he might not push for enough changes within the CIA.
The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee approved his nomination. On September 22, 2004, the Senate confirmed him by a vote of 77–17. Many senators from both parties supported him.
As CIA Director, Goss worked to make changes. He wanted to encourage risk-taking within the agency, which he felt was important for intelligence work.
Resignation from the CIA
On May 5, 2006, Goss announced his resignation from the CIA. He did this at a press conference with President Bush. There was some discussion in the news about why he resigned suddenly. Some reports suggested there were disagreements about how the CIA should be managed.
Goss was replaced by Michael Hayden. Hayden was then the Principal Deputy Director for National Intelligence.
Life After the CIA
After leaving the CIA, Porter Goss became a speaker. He also registered as a lobbyist for Turkey in 2015. He is a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.
In 2008, Goss was appointed as co-chairman of the Board of the Office of Congressional Ethics. He served in this role until 2015.
Goss is also an avid organic farmer.
In 2022, Goss joined the Council for Responsible Social Media project. This project aims to address the negative impacts of social media in the United States.
See also
In Spanish: Porter Goss para niños
